Employment Tribunal fees scrapped

Ruling says fees were ‘unlawful’

The Supreme Court has ruled that fees for bringing an employment tribunal claim are unlawful, as they prevent access to justice. It further ruled that the fees were indirectly discriminatory against women, due to the different fees payable for certain claims.

The fees were introduced in 2013, costing claimants between £390 to £1200 to have their cases heard. However, the number of claims has dropped by more than 70% since then, suggesting that the fees were preventing many people from bringing claims.

PM Law Litigation Executive, Laura Thorpe, comments, “We very much welcome the decision of the Supreme Court. It means there is now no barrier to accessing justice for employees who have been treated unfairly by their employer. The ruling comes into effect immediately so anyone who has been deterred from making a claim by the financial costs should now be able to proceed.”

The ruling also means that the Government will have to refund fees already paid. It’s estimated that this will cost around £32 million.

If you are considering bringing an employment claim please contact us on 0114 220 1795 and we will be happy to discuss your situation – more information here.